5.1.2
Symbolism & Imagery
Light and Dark Imagery
Light and Dark Imagery
Images connected to lightness and darkness are common throughout the play.
Light - Juliet's goodness
Light - Juliet's goodness
- Juliet is often connected to important ideas around light:
- 'But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun'.
- Romeo constantly compares her to lightness and brightness because he feels that she is pure and good, and will bring happiness and righteousness (moral correctness) to his life.
Light - Juliet's beauty
Light - Juliet's beauty
- Romeo also says that Juliet’s beauty and goodness is so bright and pure that even the stars themselves would be ashamed to shine around her because she would diminish their glow:
- 'The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars'.
- Romeo could be suggesting that he thinks he will not feel any more darkness or sadness with Juliet in his life. She will help to make his life, and his future, brighter.
Darkness
Darkness
- But darkness (not night) brings negativity in the play.
- Darkness is traditionally linked with evil and death. Lord Capulet only talks to Juliet about Paris when it is dark outside.
- Romeo and Juliet both commit suicide when they are in the dark tomb in Act 5.
Night and Sunlight Symbolism
Night and Sunlight Symbolism
Night is a symbol of protection, while heat and sunlight suggest anger and conflict.
Night - protection
Night - protection
- Night is a key symbol in the play because it protects the characters.
- When Romeo is in Juliet’s garden he tells her 'I have night’s cloak to hide me from their sight'.
- Night makes him feel safe.
- We also see Romeo sneaking into Juliet’s room at night time to consummate their marriage. He feels sheltered and protected at night time because it encourages secrecy.
- The next morning, Romeo has to rush away before the 'garish sun' can rise and risk his secret escape (if he was caught, he would be killed): 'More light and light: more dark and dark our woes'.
Heat and sun - anger
Heat and sun - anger
- In Act 3, the fight starts on a hot, sunny day.
- Benvolio warns Mercutio, 'The day is hot, the Capulets abroad'.
- Here, the weather reflects their hot-headed (quick) responses and foreshadows (warns about) the characters’ strong anger.
- It is interesting to note that Mercutio and Benvolio both prefer the sunlight. They also feel that Romeo’s liking of night time is strange.
State of Romeo and Juliet's relationship
State of Romeo and Juliet's relationship
- Although Romeo and Juliet prefer the night time (because they can be together more safely), you could say that the night actually makes their situation worse because it encourages the secrecy of their relationship.
- Their relationship will not grow in the sunlight. This suggests that there is something unnatural and dangerous about it.
Poison and Potions
Poison and Potions
Friar Laurence discusses poison in his soliloquy about humans causing evil. There are both literal and metaphorical poisons in the play:
Friar Laurence's soliloquy
Friar Laurence's soliloquy
- Friar Laurence talks about poison: 'For nought so vile that on the earth doth live but to the earth some special good doth give'.
- He uses this soliloquy (speech to himself) in Act 2 to explain his thoughts.
- He feels that everything on Earth has its own purpose (quote), and that nothing is naturally evil. Humans make things evil.
Good vs bad uses of potions
Good vs bad uses of potions
- Friar Laurence's soliloquy is significant because he is discussing the uses of plants and potions.
- He gives Juliet a sleeping potion, which you could say he uses for a good cause (to give her and Romeo a way of being together).
- On the other hand, Romeo buys a lethal potion from the apothecary (a person in the past who made and sold drugs and medicine). He will use this to end his life.
Significance of the feud
Significance of the feud
- In the play, we see the effects of the literal poisons – the potions for Romeo and Juliet.
- But there is also another important poison in the story:
- The Montague and Capulet feud (argument) poisons the families’ minds and causes them to attack each other.
- The poisonous feud (argument) is a very negative catalyst (something that causes bad change). It causes the deaths of Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, Lady Montague, Romeo and Juliet.
1Context
2Plot Summary
2.1Prologue
2.2Act 1
2.5Act 4
3Key Characters
3.1Romeo
3.2Juliet
3.3Mercutio
3.4The Nurse, Benvolio & Tybalt
3.5Friar Laurence
3.6Grade 9 - Key Characters
4Key Themes & Concepts
4.1Power & Danger of Love
5Writing Techniques
Jump to other topics
1Context
2Plot Summary
2.1Prologue
2.2Act 1
2.5Act 4
3Key Characters
3.1Romeo
3.2Juliet
3.3Mercutio
3.4The Nurse, Benvolio & Tybalt
3.5Friar Laurence
3.6Grade 9 - Key Characters
4Key Themes & Concepts
4.1Power & Danger of Love
5Writing Techniques
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